Machine for producing justified lines of printing types



June 22, 1937. J. SCHNEIDER MACHINE FOR PRODUCING JUSTIFIED LINES OF PRINTING TYPES Filed July 10, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l Jlflus sahneide f INVENTE. (23 EM NF-FY.

June 22, 1937.

J. SCHNEIDER MACHINE FOR PRODUCING JUSTIFIED LINES OF PRINTING TYPES Filed July 10, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I ENTOE,

Patented June 22, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Julius Schneider, Munich, Germany- Application July 10, 1935, Serial No. 30,651.

Germany September 25,1933

2' Claims.

between the number'of units in the desired length.

of line and sum of the widths of all the types set,

the difference being divided by the number of word spaces. The blocks are then cast by operating a selected space key, according to the re- 1g, quired width.

For simplifying the process it has been proposed. to adjust the. mould automatically according to the required spaces, the. machine having a matrix wheel continually rotating in front of 0 a mould of variable size, but the line must bemade up with dummies prior to the casting of. the types and space blocks, the width of. the spaces being ascertained with theaid of the dummies, which are then utilized for adjusting the mould. and the'matrix wheel above the form. This arrangement requires the stocking. of

dummies, and the settingup of the dummy line is a separate operation, prior tov the casting proper.

My invention enables the use of dummies to berdispensed with. The matrix wheel rotating in front of. the variable size mould and stopped for each casting operation is, according to the invention, directly and positively adjusted for the casting of the types, by a. feeler action which is: in itself well known, so that the wheel is centred. in accordance with the widths of the types, and. for casting the spacing blocks the wheel is. stopped, in a manner-which. is also in itself known,

by a: device which divides the amount of justification required by thenumber of spaces occurring in the line.

In the accompanying drawings a machine constructed; according to the invention is illustrated by way of example.

Fig. l is: a perspective view of the machine, and

Fig. 1a shows; part of the same to a largerscale;

Fig. 1b shows a detail in vertical section; Figs. 2 and 3 show details in perspective view. Mounted. on. a. shaft l isa wheel 2 secured to-the shaft by a spring catch, so that it can be easily removed from the shaft- In the wheel there are two sets of. type matrices, side by side, but only 5 one matrix 3. belonging. to. one of. the sets: is shown.

in Fig. 1. The other matrices are omittedfor clearness. The matrices are radially slidable and are normally pulled inwards by springs 4. In addition to the type matrices 3 the wheel has in each set a blank matrix 5, exactly like the matrices 3 except that it has, no matrix face. Behind the wheel 2 there are two gears 6 and 1, one for each set of matrices. These gears have tooth gaps corresponding in number to the. number of matrices in the respective set. The tooth gaps are of different depths, according to the widths of the types. to which they belong. In addition each gear has a deep gap 8, which corresponds to the blank matrix 5. The tooth. gaps coact with a feeler 9 for positioning, thewheel.

The matrix wheel 2 is axially slidable. on the shaft l so that either of the two matrix sets can be brought into operative position, as desired. This enables the machine to. be used for producing two different styles of type alternatively.

If desired more thantwo. matrix. sets may be provided on the wheel 2. The feeler 9 coacts with one or the other of the gears 6 or 1... according. to the position of the wheel 2.

In the machinethere isamould Ill having connected to itsunderside thespout ll. of a. casting ladle I2. Between the mould and a galley [3. there isa type carrier, inv the form of a rotatable drum l4 with magazines. formed by axial slots l5.- The drum is rotated with the aid of a. feed mechanism l6 operated by a key 1.1, the movement. imparted by each depression of the keybeing such. that the magazines l8 are. by successive movements placed in alignment with. a feed channel I19, which is of the. same size as the magazines. The drum is rotated against the: action of are-. straining force which. tends to. rotate it back wards, but backward rotation is prevented by a spring pressed pawl 20. Connection between the magazine 18 inline with the feed channel. l9 and the. composing galley I3. is: afforded. by a. bridge: 2|. As long as the magazine is not required to be. emptied the bridge, is slightly offset withrespect tothe opposite magazine, thereby forming an abutment which prevents types. introduced into the magazine on one side from being ejected therefrom on the other side. 0bviously, this abutment may, if desired, be con-= structed in some other manner and may be positively controlled so as to clear the way at the appropriate moment.

The mould. I0, Fig. 1a., is bounded by walls 22, 23, 2:4, and 25-. In the mould wall 24 there is a slide 25 which exposes the mould cavity H!- in: the position. shown in full lines; and serves. to.

push the cast type or space block in the direction of the feed channel I9 when moved into the position shown in full lines in Fig. l. The slide 25 is integral with the mould wall 22. In the position shown in Fig. 1a the wall 22 locks an ejector 21 slidable in the channel I9, the ejector being subject to the action of a spring 27a which acts in the direction of the arrow 28. In the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1 the mould wall 22 allows the ejector 21 to move in the direction of the arrow 28. The movable members 22 and 26 of the mould are controlled in opposition to a return force by an abutment 29 rigidly connected to the members 22 and 26. The mould walls 23 and 24 are stationary, but the mould wall 25 is rigidly connected to an axially sildable rod 30 which passes through the members 23, 24 and 26. The rod 30 is connected by means of a pin 3| to the carrier 32 of the feeler 9, so that it is rigidly attached both to the carrier and the feeler.

The wheel 2 is driven by a worm 33 on a shaft 34, the worm being engaged with a worm wheel 35 rotatably mounted on the shaft I and is connected thereto by a friction clutch 36. The clutch consists of a spider fixed to the shaft I, with springy arms bearing against one face of the worm wheel 35. Owing to this arrangement the shaft I and the wheel 2 can be stopped while the worm wheel 35 continues its rotation. The shaft I is connected by bevel gears 31 and 38 to a hollow shaft 39. The free end of this hollow shaft carries a stop plate 40 which rotates above a circular series of abutments 4I corresponding in number to the number of matrices, including the blank matrix. The abutments are rods slidable in a cylinder 42 so that they can be moved into the path of the plate 40 with the aid of keys 43. For clearness only one key 43 and one abutment 4| is shown in Fig. l. The number of keys and abutments corresponds to the number of characters or, if a shift key arrangement is provided, to half the number of characters. One key and one abutment are provided for the blank matrix, for casting space blocks.

The plate 40 has an arcuate groove 44 which is closed at the rear by a wall 45. Into the groove extends the chamfered head 46 of a bolt 48 subject to the action of a spring 41. The rear end of the bolt has a cam surface 49 which cooperates with a push rod 50 slidable in the hollow shaft 39. The upper end of the push rod, which projects from the shaft 39, is in engagement with a lever 52 pivoted at 5|. Connected to the lever 52 by a rod 53 is a locking lever 54 rotatable on a shaft 55. In the position shown in Fig. 2 one edge of the locking member 54, which has a notch 56, engages a stud 51 on a horizontal bolt 58 slidable in the bore of a cylinder 59. The bolt 58 is subject to the action of a spring 60 which urges it in the direction of the arrow BI (Fig. 1). The cylinder 59 is fixed to ashaft 62 carrying a worm wheel 63, meshing with the worm 33, and a cam 64, which is keyed to the shaft, whereas the worm wheel 63 is rotatable on it. The face of the worm wheel has holes 65 into any of which the bolt 58 can be thrust by the action of the spring 60, when released by the locking member 54. The cam 64 cooperates with the free end I56 of a hammer 68 pivoted on a shaft 61, the head of the hammer extending into the wheel 2 so that it can strike whichever matrix is in operative position when the wheel 2 stops. Upon the shaft 62 there are cams 69, I0 and II, which are omitted for clearness in Fig. 2. The

cam 69 co-operates with the plunger I2 of a casting pump, and the cam I0 acts through one arm of the bell crank lever I3 upon the abutment 29 of the two slidable mould members 22, 26. The cam II is double acting, and controls, on the one hand, through a push bar I4, the carrier 32 of the feeler 9, its periphery and, on the other hand it acts by means of an axial extension I5 and follower "IS on a double lever 'I'I having pivotal points 28 and I9. At the free end of the double lever 'I'I there is a pin engaging into a groove III in a clutch member 82, which is slidable but not rotatable on a shaft 33. This shaft is driven by helical gears 84, 85, from the main drive shaft 34. The gear is connected to the shaft 83 in the same manner as the worm Wheel 35 is connected to the shaft I. The clutch member 82 has dogs, its counterpart being a gear 36 loose on the shaft 83 and having corresponding dogs. The gear 86 is in mesh with a rack 87 formed on the lower edge of the ejector 2'I.

Mounted loosely on an arm 88 of the carrier 32 of the feeler 9 there is a meter abutment 89, which adds up the movements of the feeler. The meter abutment is mounted on free wheel rollers 98 disposed in wedge shaped recesses 9I, so that in the course of each return movement of the carrier 32 and feeler 9 in the direction of the arrow 02 the meter abutment 09 is advanced by a corresponding amount, without partaking in movements of the carrier 32 and feeler 9 in the opposite direction. The movement of the meter abutment 89 in the direction of the arrow 92 is therefore in each case dependent on the width of the character which corresponds to the tooth gap of the gear 6 or I engaged with the feeler. Owing to the fact that the meter abutment does not partake in the return movements of the carrier the amounts are added up. The meter abutment 89 is loaded by a spring (not shown), I

which tends to move it in the direction opposite to that of the arrow 92, this tendency of the spring being frustrated by free wheel rollers 93 in a block 94. The block 94 is vertically slidable, so that the rollers 93 can be rendered inoperative by lifting the block. The arm 88 carries an abutment 95 with an inclined face 96. This abutment co-operates with a similarly formed abutment 91, the face 98 of which is parallel with the face 96. The abutment 97 is carried by a weighted beam 99, which can be lifted, as indicated by an arrow I0 I, by means of a key I00, and is locked in the raised position by a locking member I02. A spring pressed pin or detent new is mounted in the member I02 and engages an opening I00 in the key I00, when the latter is depressed (see Fig. 15). On the shaft of the key I00 there is a key I03, controlling an abutment I04 indicating the completion of the line. This abutment first has the position shown in Fig. 1. It moves in a guide I05 and can be raised with the aid of the key I03 into the operative position shown in dotted lines. In this position it is locked by a spring pressed catch I06. I04 and the abutment 98, when the same is in its end position after the formation of all the words of a line, is the difference between the required length of line and the sum of the lengths of all the words on the line. Into the space between the two abutments 98 and I04, while the latter is still in its full line position, a wedge I08 is inserted after the completion of each word, so that after the setting of the last word there are as many Wedges between the abut- The distance I0? between the abutment ments as there are word spaces in the line. The wedge to be inserted is taken from a wedge stock I09. The insertion of the wedges is eifected by positive action in accordance with the feed of the magazine drum It. For this purpose a lever H! is mounted on the shaft N0 of the feed key l1, and said lever has pivoted thereto a finger H2 engaging the foremost portion of the stock 189. The wedges have elongated holes I I3 whereby they are threaded on an inclined rod H5, so that when by depression of the key t1 the finger i2 releases the foremost wedge that wedge slides down the rod H5 and comes to rest against the meter abutment (seewedge 38) or joins the wedges already inserted. Obviously, provision must be made to assure that only one wedge) is released at a time, as is well known in connection with matrix type setting and line casting machines, where one matrix is released at a time.

The machine described operates in the following manner:

At the beginning of the production of a line the drum 14 has its magazine slot l8 in line with the feed channel (9. The bridge 2! assumes the dotted position and thereby prevents the types introduced into the magazine [8 from being ejected on the opposite side. The mould I0 is closed, i. e. the mould members 22 and 26 occupy the full line position of Fig. 1a. As long as no key is depressed, the worm 33 rotates the shaft l and therewith the wheel 2, the locking plate it! being also rotated. The shaft 83 and the worm wheel 63 also rotate, but not the shaft 62, since this is not coupled to the worm wheel 63. A key 43 is then depressed, corresponding to the first letter of the first word. This moves the corresponding abutment 4! into the path of the plate 43. When the groove 44 engages the projecting abutment M the latter strikes the chamfered head 45 of the bolt 41, and pushes the bolt inwards. When the abutment has cleared the bolt it strikes the end wall 45 of the groove and stops the plate 40, shaft 39, bevel gears 38, 31, shaft 6 and wheel 2. In this position the matrix 3 which corresponds to the depressed key 43 faces the mould iii. The worm wheel 35 continues its rotation, its side face rubbing against the springy arms 38 of the friction clutch. \Nhen the abutment M has cleared the head 46 of the bolt 4? the latter returns to its normal position, but its rearward movement causes the cam surface 39 to lift the push rod 50 and rock the lever 52 so that the locking lever 54 is lifted and releases the stud 51. The lever 54 is lifted only for an instant, but this is sufficient to cause the bolt 58 to be thrust by the spring 60 into one of the holes in the worm wheel 63. The shaft 82 is thus coupled with the worm wheel 63 and connected to the worm 33, so that the shaft 62 rotates until the stud 5'! of the bolt 58 is pulled back by engagement with an inclined portion of the edge of the notch in the locking lever 54. The shaft 62 has then made a complete revolution. By this means the earns 64, 69, I0 and H are actuated. First the cam H releases the push rod I4 and the carrier 32 of the feeler 9, so that a spring (not shown) causes the feeler 9 to engage the tooth gap of the gear 6 which corresponds to the depressed key. The wheel 2 is thus locked in a position in which the matrix 3 is accurately positioned above the mould l0. Since the rod 30 is rigidly connected to the carrier 32 of the feeler 9 it performs exactly the same movement as the feeler 9, thereby determining the width of the mould, i. e. the deeper the tooth gap which the feeler has engaged the larger is the width of the mould. Since the depth of each gap corresponds to the width of the character to which it belongs, the width of the mould in each case equals the width of the type to be cast.

Following the adjustment of the mould [0 the cam 64 becomes operative, engaging the lever arm 66 of the hammer 68 and causing the hammer to drive the matrix 3 towards the open mouth of the mould Ill. The casting operation is performed by the cam 69, which engages the plunger rod T2 of the casting pump, thereby causing the type metal to be injected into the mould through the casting spout ll. Following this operation, but with such interval as allows the type metal to set, the cam 19 engages one arm of the bell crank lever 13 and causes the other arm and the abutment 29 to move the parts 22 and 26 cf the mould in the direction of the arrow H6, against the action of a spring not shown. The members 22 and 26 are thus moved from the dotted position of Fig. 1 into the full line position, and the slide 26 moves the east type with it towards the delivery channel IS. The mould member 22 releases the ejector 21, so that same shoots forward under the action of a spring, in the direction of the arrow 28, and pushes the cast type into the magazine, which is in the receiving position, this magazine being distinguished by the reference numeral Hi from the others marked 55. The type is advanced until it abuts against the bridge 2|. Then the part 75 of the cam H engages the follower 16 of the double lever 1}, and the latter causes the clutch member 82 to engage the clutch gear 86, which is loose on the shaft 83, so that the gear 86 is actuated by the shaft 83 and by virtue of its engagement with the toothed lower edge 8'! of .the ejector 21 causes same to return to its initial position, against the action of its spring. The period of engagement of the members 82 and 853 is sufiicient to enable the ejector 2'! to return to its initial position. Shortly before the release of the pin 16 the cam 1!] also releases the bell crank lever 13, so that first of all the members 22 and 26 of the mould return to the dotted position of Fig. 1, and then the lever Tl returns to its initial position, thereby throwing the clutch members 82 and 88 out of engagement. i

the carrier 32 and the feeler 9 and mould rod 38 into the initial position. The amount of the return movement depends on the depth of the tooth gap from which the feeler is being with drawn. The meter abutment 89 connected to the arm 88 of the carrier 32 travels a corresponding amount. Therefore, the travel of the meter abutment also corresponds to the depth of the tooth gap from which the feeler is withdrawn, and is thus proportional to the width of the cast type.

The above described process is repeated in exactly the same manner during the casting of each following type for forming the first word on the line, but of course with the proper letter keys depressed. After each casting the meter abutment 89 moves by an amount which corresponds to the depth of the tooth gap from which the feeler 9 is withdrawn. These amounts of travel are added up by the meter abutment 89, since the meter abutment is unable to follow the movements of the carrier in a direction opposite to that of the arrow 92.

When all the types for the first word of the line have thus been collected in the magazine I8 the key N is depressed, and thereby the drum is advanced until the next magazine I5 is in line with the delivery channel I9. The movement of the key I! is transmitted to the finger II2, so that this releases the first wedge of the wedge stock 569. This wedge slides down the inclined rod I5 to the meter abutment 89. This process is continued until all the words of the line have been set and each word has been introduced into a magazine of the drum I4.

Obviously, the meter abutment 89 operates in the aforesaid manner for each word, so that after the casting of the last word the aggregate travel of the meter abutment 89 corresponds to the sum of the widths of all the types on the line. At each depression of the key I! a further wedge from the wedge stock 509 is added, the total number of wedges being equal to the number of the word spaces on the line.

When the last type has been cast and pushed into the appropriate magazine the key 20 is depressed and this causes the magazine drum to return under the action of a return force into the position in which the magazine charged with the types of the first word of the line is in alignment with the delivery channel I9. Now follows the justification necessary for obtaining the desired length of line. For this purpose the key I03 is depressed, so that the abutment IE4 is raised into the dotted position, being locked in such position by the locking member I96. Between the meter abutment 89 and the abutment I04 there are the wedges which have been released bne by one by the finger H2 at each depression of the key I! and have slid down along the rod H5. These wedges are shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. By depression of the key I the weight beam 99 is raised in the direction of the arrow IOI, the wedges being thereby forced between the abutments 89 and I94. As the distance apart of the abutments 89 and I04 corresponds to the required length of line and since moreover the number of wedges forced between the said abutments cor responds to the number of word spaces, the distance travelled by the beam 99 corresponds to the spacing required for obtaining thecorrect length of line. This travel is therefore utilized for adjusting the mould member 25 in such manner that the spaces now to be cast have the corre fididth. The abutment 91 on the weight beam 99 is in the path of the abutment 95 on the arm 88 of the carrier 32 when the weight beam is raised, and the higher the Weight beam 99 is raised, when the set of wedges is forced between the abutments 39 and I04, the sooner does the abutment 95 strike the abutment 9'? when the carrier 32 is moved in opposition to the arrow 92. The distance through which the abutment 95 travels before it strikes the abutment 91 is therefore a measure of the width of the spacing blocks to be cast.

The spaces are cast, as already explained, in the mould I9 in exactly the same manner as the types are cast. The key 43 corresponding to the blankmatrix 5 is depressed, whereby the blank matrix is caused to move into its operative position opposite the mould I0. As distinct from the procedure followed when the types are cast, the adjustable wall of the mould is not adjusted in accordance with the distance travelled by the feeler 9, but in accordance with the distance travelled by the carrier 32 which is connected to the rod 39 until the abutment 95 strikes the abutment 91. In order that the feeler 9 does not prevent this travel by abutting against the gear 6, there is in this position of the wheel 2 a tooth gap 8 so deep, facing the feeler 9, that the same will meet with no obstacle even when the abutments 95 and 9'! are at the largest possible distance apart.

Exactly as described in connection with the casting of the types, the blank matrix is pressed upon the mould by the hammer 68 after the mould member 25 has been adjusted. The form is filled with metal, the set casting is pushed by the slide 26 into the delivery channel I9 and moved by the ejector 27 into the magazine I8 of the first word. Meanwhile the bridge 2| has been moved into the full line position by any suitable actuating mechanism, so that now the ejector 21 not only moves the cast space block into the magazine I8 and causes same to join the last type of the first word, but pushes same together with the block over the bridge 2| into the composing galley I3. When this is accomplished and all parts of the casting mechanism have, as already described, returned to the initial position, the magazine drum I4 is again advanced by the depression of the key I'I, until the next magazine is positioned in alignment with the delivery channel I9 and the bridge 21. Thereupon the next space block, of the same size, is cast for the second word, and is caused to join the word in the appropriate magazine and ejected together with same. This procedure is repeated until all the words of the line have been removed from their magazines and the finished line is in position for reading in the composing galley I3.

When the line is completed the wedges I08 must be returned to the position I09, likewise the meter abutment 89 must be pushed back, this being effected upon lifting the block 94. Finally, the weight beam 99 must be returned by releasing the lock I02 and the abutment I04 must be returned by releasing the lock I06. All these return movements may, of course, be brought about by positive operation, but this is not illustrated, for the sake of clearness.

In the form of construction herein described and illustrated mechanical control means are exclusively employed, but these may be replaced by electrical, pneumatic or hydraulic control means.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States 1. In a machine for producing justified lines of printing type, a casting mold of adjustable width, a rotatable matrix wheel adjacent to the mold, a movable feeler cooperating with said wheel, means controlled by movements of the feeler for adjusting the width of the mold to correspond with the particular type which is to be cast, means for separately storing the words of a line as they are cast, means for dividing the amount of necessary justification by the number of word spaces and adjusting the width of the mold accordingly for casting space blocks of proper width, and means for finally assembling the stored words in the form of a line with the cast space blocks between them.

2. In a machine for producing justified lines of printing type, a casting mold of adjustable width, a rotatable wheel adjacent to the mold and carrying a plurality of matrices of diiTerent width, a plurality of abutments supported by said wheel, each of said abutments being coordinated to one of said matrices, a movable feeler cooperating with said abutments, means controlled by movements of the feeler for adjusting the width of the mold to correspond with the particular type which is to be cast, means for separately storing the words of a line as they are cast, means for dividing the amount of necessary justification by the number of word spaces and adjusting the width of the mold accordingly for casting space blocks of proper width, and means for finally assembling the stored Words in the form of a line with the cast space blocks between them.

JULIUS SCHNEIDER. 

